His other early interests included graphics and visual art, writing, dance, puppetry, painting, sculpting, and poetry.
[1] He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and began touring with midwestern "ghost big bands" (Les Elgart, Woody Herman) as well as playing with small local jazz and rock groups.
Klemmer had extensive studies in music, taking private lessons as a youth and in college in piano, conducting, harmony, theory, composition, arranging, clarinet, flute and classical and jazz saxophone.
[1] The year he graduated from high school, Klemmer was signed by producer Esmond Edwards at Chess Records, eventually recording five albums with their Cadet label, including his innovative hit 1969 album, Blowin Gold (co-produced by ex-Rolling Stones producer Marshall Chess).
Klemmer has composed all songs for many of his albums, amassing a large and valuable publishing catalog, but he has also collaborated and co-written musically and as lyricist with many pop songwriters, such as David Batteau, with the UK hit "Walk In Love", recorded by The Manhattan Transfer, Danny O'Keefe, Clint Holmes, Pamela Oland, and many others.
After another of his many controversial sabbaticals, he again changed musical direction by then moving to ABC/MCA Records briefly returning to his early R&B and pop roots.
Klemmer then took his longest and most controversial sabbatical, causing numerous false rumors of personal and health problems as he continued writing, recording and working with new digital technologies, plus returning to vocal studies with noted Macy Gray and Brandi vocal teacher Roger Burnley.
Klemmer's music has been sampled by a large number of DJ, hip-hop, and rap artists primarily focused on his early Cadet/Chess recordings.